Cushioned car rail



June 23, 1936. C, SAURER 2,045,253

CUSHIONED CAR RAIL Filed June 4, 1931 i INVENTOR EY M ATTORNEYS PatentedJune 23, 1936 PATENT OFFICE CUSHIONED CAR RAIL Curt Saurer, Akron, Ohio,assignor to The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application June 4, 1931, serial No. 541,962

1 Claim.

All car rails are subject to vibration induced by the passage of carsand other vehicles thereover, and when the rails are embedded inconcrete or similar material, such vibration quickly effects separationof the rail and concrete and eventually damages the foundation structureof the rails, the destructive action of the vibration being expedited bymoisture which enters the 'space between the rails and the concreteafter their initial separation. Attempts to remedy the situation, solfar as I am aware, consist in mounting shock absorbing fibre blocksbetween rails and ties, and while this expedient protects the foundationstructure from rail vibration, it does not prevent the head or flange ofthe rails from damaging the adjacent concrete, and does not prevent theentrance of moisture.

'Ihe chief objects of this invention are to prevent damage to thefoundation structure of a railway from rail vibration; to prevent damage.to adjacent concrete or brick from vibration of the head and/or flangeof the-rails; to reduce the noise incidental to car travel on the rails;and to prevent the entrance of moisture between the rails and adjacentpavement.

'I'he single 'figure of the accompanying drawing is a transverse sectionthrough one rail of a v railway embodying the invention in its preferredform.

Referring to the drawing, I is track rail, and is shown herein as a railof the type comprising a head II formed with alateral flange I2, therail also having the usual base portion I3. Mounted upon the under sideof the head II and flange I2 of the rail are respective cushions I4, I4of resilient rubber composition, said cushions extending longitudinallythe full length of the rail. The cushions I4 either are vulcanized tothe rail, or are adhesively attached thereto after initially beingvulcanized in extruded or molded form. The bottom face of the baseportion I3 of the rail is provided with a resilient rubber cushion I5which may consist of a single strip extending the full length of therail, or it may consist of a plurality of short strips that are spacedapart so as to underlie only those portions of the rail that rest uponties, such as the metal (Cl. 23S-9) tie I6. The cushion or cushions I5are applied to the rail in the same manner as the cushions I4. Suitablebolts I1 are provided for securing the rail I0 to the tie I6, whichbolts extend through suitable apertures formed in the tie I6, cushionI5, and rail base I3, and are provided respectively with washers I8having non-parallel faces, and nuts I9 for urging said washers againstthe top face of the rail base I3.

The railway consisting of parallel rails of the construction andmounting described, when laid in a paved roadway is substantiallyembedded in the paving material such as the concrete 20, only the top ofthe rail head II and ange I2 being exposed. In pouring the concrete,narrow spaces are left along the lateral faces of the said head andange, and these spaces subsequently are filled vwith a composition ofasphalt, pitch or rubber that adheres' to the rail and to the concreteand provides seals 2I, 2| to prevent the entrance of moisture betweenthe rail and pavement.

Preferably the seals 2| are of such composition and consistency as toremain permanently flexible, that is, never to crack or fracture underthe rail-vibration to which they are subjected.

When the trackway is initially constructed, the concrete adheres to therails, but after a relatively short interval of use, due to vibration ofthe rails, this adhesion fails and a crack is formed between the metaland the concrete. Thereafter vibration of the rails is absorbed by therubber cushions I4, I5 and further damage to the pavement orrail-supporting structure is obviated. i 35 Modification may be resortedto within the scope of the appended claim which is not limited wholly tothe specific construction shown and described.

What is claimed is:

In a railway, the combination of ties, track rails, rubber cushionsbetween theties and track rails, rubber cushions on the under side ofthe heads of the rails, and rigid paving material in contact with thesides of the rails and with the aforesaid members in which the pavingmaterial is flush with the top surface of the rails, includingnon-frang'ible water seals between the lateral faces of the rail headsand the adjacent pavement structure. 50

CURT SAUBER.

